Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on the sidelines of a meeting with his Maltese Foreign counterpart said that Turkey is the only country that opens a war front everywhere.
The need for Europe to “fully stand up to these circumstances” and “to respond firmly but without hesitation to Turkish challenges, security issues, but also to immigration,” stressed Dendias after his meeting with Maltese Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo, who is currently in Athens.
“Europe has the ability to do it quite effectively,” Dendias said. “The choice is simple and it is up to Turkey to choose: dialogue without threats and blackmail, or sanctions.”
Expanded talks b/w #Greece & #Malta delegations under FMs @NikosDendias & @EvaristBartolo –bilateral coop, regional dvpts top the agenda / Διευρυμένες συνομιλίες αντιπροσωπειών 🇬🇷&🇲🇹 υπό ΥΠΕΞ Ν.Δένδια& E.Bartolo –διμερής συνεργασία, περιφερ. εξελίξεις pic.twitter.com/9pWxBT4tKz
— Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) September 7, 2020
Dendias pointed out that Turkey’s actions “are not directed only against one EU member state, they are directed against the Union itself, as seen in February at Evros, as seen in the Aegean, as seen in the Eastern Mediterranean. They violate the essence of the principles of the Union, the essence of the European common acquis. And that’s why these challenges, that are common, require answers,” he added.
The Foreign Minister reiterated that Greece is always ready for a talks with Turkey, but talks within the framework of international law.
“And of course talks with blackmail and threats is not meant. Dialogue with the presence of Turkish research vessels and warships is not meant,” he said.
“The EU is not a coalition of states, it is a family based on common values with solidarity and the rule of law is the dominant one,” he said. “We fully understand that many family members often have different concerns, we fully understand the existential problems of many countries and especially small countries.
As Dendias noted, with his Maltese counterpart, the developments in the East Mediterranean were discussed in view of the critical decisions to be taken within the EU and the situation created because of the provocative and illegal actions by Turkey in the region – Libya, Cyprus, Iraq and Syria.
“Turkey is the only country that opens war fronts everywhere, the only country that threatens its neighbors with war if they choose to exercise their legal rights, which blatantly violates the UN Charter,” he pointed out.
He mentioned a series of illegal and provocative actions, such as the publication and renewal of a NAVTEX for research activities on the Greek continental shelf, unprecedented and direct threats, exercises with real fire, violations of Greek airspace, religious degeneration of world cultural heritage and the instrumentalization of human suffering in migration.
Dendias discussed with his Maltese counterpart about developments in the East Mediterranean in view of the critical decisions to be taken within the EU and the situation created due to the provocative and illegal actions of Turkey in the region – Libya, Cyprus, Iraq and Syria.
“Turkey is the only country that opens war fronts everywhere, the only country that threatens its neighbors with war if they choose to exercise their legal rights, which blatantly violates the UN Charter,” he pointed out.
He mentioned a series of illegal and provocative actions, such as the publication and renewal of NAVTEX for research activities on the Greek continental shelf, provocative statements, unprecedented and direct threats, exercises with live fire, violations of Greek airspace, religious degeneration of world cultural heritage and the instrumentalization of human suffering in migration.
The situation in Libya, Operation Irini, the possibilities of imposing an arms embargo on Libya and the ways to build a lasting peace were also discussed.
“Greece consistently seeks to play a positive role in Libya, through its participation in the Berlin Process, but also in any way possible,” said Dendias, noting that Greece “fully understands that the situation in Libya is a huge issue for Malta, that it affects the control of migratory flows that can put the island society in an extremely difficult position.”
“Developments in immigration and the experience we have from its instrumentalization by Turkey require the close cooperation of our states in view of the work for the review of the common European asylum system. As well as the need for the unequivocal implementation by Turkey of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of 2016,” stressed the Greek minister.
Cooperation was also discussed in the framework of the Med-7 group that will meet in a few days in Corsica, a group that, as Dendias said: “It is a useful tool to promote our cooperation and our common understanding, so that our common sea becomes a place of peace and stability for the benefit of our peoples.”
Finally, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two Foreign Ministries for cooperation in the field of diplomacy traininig.
